1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates generally to the field of avionics for hybrid air collision avoidance systems to provide a complete coverage for air collision avoidance situations and validate a ground collision resolution for an induced air collision situation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hybridized dual domain handler avoidance system for providing instantaneous real-time air collision avoidance that will have a dual domain of air and ground compatibility. The invention provides the capabilities for automatic air collision avoidance re-planning with the aid of feedback data generated by the hybrid ground collision avoidance system and verification and validation of the air collision avoidance condition for a ground collision avoidance solution.
2. Background Art
An aircraft equipped with an embedded hybrid air collision avoidance system (HACAS) has the capabilities to uniquely avoid an air collision situation without the implication of inducing a ground collision. These capabilities are achieved by incorporating a dispatcher and collision resolver module. This module provides filtering of collision solution data, evaluating, and routing feedback data resulting from cross-domain verification in hybrid modules. By inserting hybrid processing capabilities, the hybrid ground collision avoidance module can predict if the solution produced by the hybrid air collision avoidance module will have ground clearance and similarly, the hybrid air collision module can also predict if the solution produced by the hybrid ground collision module will not mis-guide the aircraft to an unsafe airspace.
The development of an effective airborne obstacle collision avoidance system (CAS) has been the goal of the aviation community for many years. Airborne obstacle collision avoidance systems provide protection from collisions with ground and other aircraft. As is well appreciated in the aviation industry, avoiding collisions with ground and other aircraft is a very important endeavor. Furthermore, collision avoidance is a problem for both military and commercial aircraft alike. Therefore, to promote the safety of air travel, systems that avoid collision with other aircraft and terrain are highly desirable.
A prior art midair collision avoidance system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,697, to Tran, entitled Midair Collision Avoidance System, which uses a flight path angle, closure range, and closure rate with an intruder aircraft to determine whether an midair collision condition exists. The resulting solution is determined from prediction calculations and provides warnings and appropriate generated maneuvers to avoid an air collision. This solution is applied solely to the intruder aircraft in the proximity air space information without taking the potential terrain condition induced by the air avoidance maneuver into consideration. Without the feedback and validation of the solution from a ground collision coverage domain, the air avoidance solution in many instances does not have a complete free clearance for obstacle avoidance.